How to Teach Your Children About the Importance of Saving Our Oceans
Parents, educators, and other adults with children in their lives have a responsibility to nurture the next generation. An important aspect of this mentorship involves teaching young ones why preserving the health of our oceans and aquatic life is so critical.
Children have an innocence about them and a need to understand their environment, constantly asking questions of adults. It’s not too difficult to address this thirst for learning and develop their interest in becoming future caretakers of our planet’s large bodies of water. Let’s explore some simple ways to prepare your youngsters for this role.
Read to your children
It’s no secret that youngsters love a good story. Hearing about other lands and the adventures of interesting characters ignite their imagination. Whether you’re reading to a very young child or encouraging an older one to pick up a book on their own, there’s a host of material available about the ocean. Fictional tales and non-fiction narratives are a great way to introduce your kids to different types of marine animals and the idea of conservation. Children will enjoy learning fun facts about the Earth’s vast waterscape and the creatures within.
Go to the movies
Watching documentaries about the ocean and its inhabitants gives young people a fascinating window to this undersea world. Such films will take you and your child to a place rarely seen as you accompany documentary filmmakers who dive deep into the ocean. The beauty captured by these motion pictures will astonish, educate, and delight children of all ages. You can also find wonderful animated movies about the ocean geared toward young viewers.
Do a craft project
What child doesn’t enjoy creating art? This is another route to get your child excited about the marine world. Make sure they have a supply of paint and other craft items, and supplement these with recycled material, giving your kids free rein to express their creativity. From sculptures of sea creatures to paintings of coral reefs, your little ones will come up with novel projects to demonstrate their understanding of the ocean.
Visit an aquarium
A family outing to an aquarium is a terrific way to teach your child about the ocean. This is where young people can meet sea life up close and learn fascinating facts about each species. They’ll be struck by the colors of fish, coral, and sea sponges, and marvel at the movement of octopus, seahorses, and jellyfish. Your children will be entertained by the antics of sea otters and other aquatic animals.
Plan a beach day
If you’re fortunate to live close enough to a beach, take your youngsters there. Visiting the ocean will expose them to the power of the waves and the vast beauty of this outdoor environment. Show them tide pools, help them find unique seashells, and point out the tracks of crabs and other marine animals. Take lots of photos to remember the excursion and look up information about what you saw when you get home.
Show your children how to conserve
Model responsible behavior for your children by conserving water, recycling household waste, and reducing the use of plastics at home. Children watch what the adults around them do and will follow their example. By explaining to youngsters how your household routines add to ocean conservation, they’ll appreciate why it’s necessary. Instilling such habits early on in children will make them excellent stewards of the ocean as adults.
Take your kids to community events
Joining a beach clean-up effort will encourage respect for the sea and the role that everyone has in protecting it. Seek out any citizen science programs in your community. Chances are, there’s a local organization that has educational events where families are welcome. Youngsters will be exposed to information about species that live underwater and along the shore, as well as how to safeguard the delicate aquatic ecosystem.
Encourage advocacy
Maybe your child would like to join a nonprofit that fights pollution or raises awareness about endangered marine animals. With a little knowledge about these types of issues, your son or daughter might be motivated to write a letter to their government representative with their concerns. Another kind of advocacy that your child could engage in involves raising money to support ocean charities, for instance.
Adopt a marine species
Have you ever thought of adopting an aquatic species? Essentially, this is a symbolic adoption in which you would donate an amount of money to support the conservation of a certain species and their habitat. You and your children will have a great time choosing an animal to support and reading information about them that you receive in the mail from the charitable organization. Your kids will feel they’re making a real impact in saving the ocean.
In closing
There are many ways to educate your child about the fascinating marine world and how they can get involved in protecting the ocean. The key is to start with something age-appropriate and build from there.